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5 Underused Ways to Optimize Conversion Rates

When it comes to marketing, we have a lot to consider that we didn’t twenty years ago. Once upon a time, just having a website and a few salesmen willing to go door-to-door meant that you were golden. We all know that this isn’t the case in this day and age.

With the rise in technology and the transition from a company-driven sales cycle to a consumer-driven one, the way that we market has changed. We need more than a website — we need a design that will make it appealing, optimization for search, content to support it, and a boatload of conversion opportunities to drive business.

But how can you ensure that these conversion opportunities actually are driving new business, and not just sitting there gathering dust? Check out a few tips below to help fuel conversion rates on your site:

1. Ask for what you need, and only what you need.

The more steps you put between a lead and the conversion point, the higher the likelihood that they’ll fall out of the funnel. If you’re trying to capture lead information in a form, don’t ask for anything you don’t need. At Pardot, we recommend keeping forms to four fields maximum (the three most common form fields being first name, last name, and email address). Beyond that, consider using progressive profiling or a tool that pulls in social data (like Jigsaw) to gather the remaining information for your database.

2. Leverage customer reviews and testimonials.

Prior to purchasing, consumers are taking more and more time to research products before even alerting companies that they’re interested. And the first thing they seek out? Customer reviews and client testimonials, which function as social proof that isn’t influenced or manipulated by the companies themselves. If you have positive feedback from your clients, display it on your site. Make sure that case studies, reviews, and testimonials are easy to access, view, and download.

3. Get your top level execs involved on social media.

An eMarketer study found that 77% of buyers are more likely to buy from a company whose CEO uses social media; 94% said that c-suite social media participation enhances a brand image. While it’s important to have a company account on popular social media channels, don’t underestimate the importance of involving your top level executives. Because the impact of social media on conversions isn’t always obvious, this is often an overlooked step when it comes to fueling conversions.

4. Make sure your content is worth promoting.

If your goal is to have leads convert via white papers, webinars, buyers guides, blog articles, or other long-form content, those pieces of content need to be worth promoting. A recent study by B2B Marketing Insider found that vendors who produce low-value content are 27% less likely to be considered in the decision process, and 40% less likely to win the business. The takeaway for marketers? Just producing any content isn’t enough. It needs to be great content in order for it to bring in leads with the potential to convert.

5. Keep copy short.

People love to scan. If you have a landing page, email, or just a generic page on your site that’s full of detailed, informative copy, a consumer will rarely take the time to read it word for word. It’s more likely that they’ll pick out bolded words, bulleted text, and maybe the first sentence of every paragraph. That’s why it’s important to keep your copy short and focused — especially on pages with a call to action. Limit paragraphs to three sentences, break copy into bullets as often as possible, and consider pulling in images to describe things that lend themselves to visuals.

If you build it, they will come. Right? Wrong. Unfortunately, this Field of Dreams mentality doesn’t work the same way for marketing. If you want consumers to visit your site and convert, you need to do more than just build a website. Get actively involved in your site optimization process and make sure that you’ve done everything you can to turn your website into a conversion machine.